Time to upgrade

[WisconsinRailfan]

Good day All!

Well, my pro97 is about to die! I need some advice on upgrading, I currently live in Central Ohio, and I make trips back home to Milwaukee County WI. I want to get a base scanner this time (I have another hand-held that I use for railfaning). What are your opinions on the following, or please add any other input on other scanners.

1) Pro-163/GRE-PSR-400 (I already have the data cable and P97 file configured for my needs)

2) Bearcat BCT15

3) Should I make the leap and get a digital scanner? Looking at the database for the 2 locations it does not appear that I need to go digital, but I may have missed something.

Thanks in advance for your ideas, and input.

Steven

 

[fordcobra04]

From the looks of it, You would benifit from having a digital scanner. Take a look at the BCD996 or the PSR 600... If you decide that you dont want a digital unit, go with the BCT15. I use one personally and it works great! Comming from just using RS scanners, I really like the Dynamic Memory Allocation in the 15 over the memory allocation of other RS scanners.

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

I have been leaning toward the bearcat scanner, does the included DB9 cable allow you to program the scanner, or do I need to buy a different cable?

 

[SCPD]

If you get the GRE-600, you can take the program you wrote for the 97, and upload it into the 600. I would recommend the 600 for a number of reasons, including, the ability to boost the audio of narrow band signals on a channel by channel basis, the ability of the radio to be programmed for narrow band reception, the dynamic memory, the large channel capacity, and having the latest technology included with the ability to update the CPU easily from the Internet. The Uniden scanners may have many of these features also.

The audio boost is rather important considering what the next four years will bring us, and that is the increasing number of narrow band transmitters employed. 2013 is the deadline for state and local public safety systems to use narrow band and in the years leading up to that there will be a mixture of narrow and wide band signals. Narrow band signals have a significantly lower volume audio signal and having the ability to boost them, channel by channel, allows the audio to be leveled with wide band signals. Without it, you often turn the scanner's volume up to be able to hear the narrow band transmissions, and then get blasted out of the house when the next wide band signal is received, if you have forgotten to turn the audio back down. You find yourself having to sit in front of the radio constantly, adjusting the volume depending on which type of signal you have, just to be able to hear everything. This has been the situation for those of us who have been listening to federal radio systems, whose narrow band due date was January, 2005. Many state and local agencies are beginning to replace there older systems and are switching to narrow band in order to make the system compliant with the 2013 requirement and this is what will cause the mixing of narrow and wide band signals for the next four years.

If you do decide on the PSR-600, I recommend the Starrsoft software. Don Starr has worked very hard at making his software the best you can find. He even has a thread on RR where he answers questions about his software and responds to suggestions to improve it. He has already updated the PSR-500/600 software 67 times in response to comments by users.

I own both Uniden and GRE scanners (including Radio Shack scanners made by GRE) and really like the two PSR-600's I purchased this last February.

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

If you get the GRE-600, you can take the program you wrote for the 97, and upload it into the 600.

That's what I was thinking, since I have my PRO97 setup just the way I like it, I could just transfer the frequencies. I am still a little bit confused, as to why I need a digital scanner for Central Ohio and Milwaukee Co. I was looking in the database here, I guess I must have missed something. I only get home to Milwaukee a few times a year (actually with the gas prices and work I have not been home in some time) , so most of my scanning is in Central Ohio. What agencies am I missing by not having a digital scanner in Central Ohio?

Steven

 

[N8IAA]

That's what I was thinking, since I have my PRO97 setup just the way I like it, I could just transfer the frequencies. I am still a little bit confused, as to why I need a digital scanner for Central Ohio and Milwaukee Co. I was looking in the database here, I guess I must have missed something. I only get home to Milwaukee a few times a year (actually with the gas prices and work I have not been home in some time) , so most of my scanning is in Central Ohio. What agencies am I missing by not having a digital scanner in Central Ohio?

Steven

Steven, have you no interest in listening to the Ohio MARCS system? Where in central OH? Wisconsin is taking steps to go digital from some of the posts on RR. I realize that most of the central OH counties are still conventional, but you just never know when it will change. Just my thoughts. If you want to go analog, may I suggest the Pro-163 which is the RS version of the GRE-400. You already have Win97, and it programs this radio without purchasing new software. I own one and love it. It is a 97 on steroids.
Larry

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

Steven, have you no interest in listening to the Ohio MARCS system?

Ahhh! That's what I was missing, I do have interest in listening to MARCS. I have listened to the stream on-line, good stuff! Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[NYRHKY94]

And the GRE PSR-600 comes with the USB programming cable included...;-)

 

[SAR923]

Assuming you have the budget, it really doesn't make sense to buy anything but a digital scanner now. As has been pointed out, most areas already have important systems on digital and that trend is spreading fast. Even railroads are starting to switch over to P25 digital. All this won't happen overnight but it will happen ove the next few years. No sense in spending 50% of the money for a non digiital scanner now and then spending double that amount for a digital scanner in a year. There's not much evidence that digital scanners are going to take any drastic price drops so waiting is unlikely to save you much money. I would also opt for the GRE 600 just for the quality of the digital decoding. It doesn't help much to have a digital scanner if you can't understand what they are saying half the time.

 

[OpSec]

I look at it this way:

.mil uses P25
.fed uses P25
wi.gov agencies are actively working towards P25
co.wi.us agencies are beginning to use P25
ci.wi.us agencies will start using P25 as equipment swaps take place, or they migrate to co.wi.us systems that will become P25

There is little actual P25 usage but the amount increases bit by bit every few months. The future Milwaukee County TRS digital system is on the air at one site for testing and a small amount of useage, and Waukesha County keeps putting out rumors of some type of P25 intent. A lot of northern counties have VHF P25 systems on the air. It is what it is, but I would agree with the statement to buy a new P25-capable scanner if you can. Analog is dying slowly, whether we'd like to admit it or not. I think VHF is here to stay in WI, but using F1E emissions

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

I do most my scanning in Ohio

OK why was this moved to the Wisconsin forum? I Live in Ohio, and stated so in my posts "I do most of my scanning in Central Ohio" I never complain, but this was uncalled for. But it's not my forum - so be it!!

Thanks to all that replayed, I would have bought a analog scanner, but will save few more bucks and get a digital. Now to decide GRE or Bearcat.

Thanks Again All,

Steven

 

[SCPD]

Steven, not only does the PSR-600 do digital, but the narrow band and wide band capacity of this radio is important. The feds and the military are already all narrow band, and like I said above the state and local agencies will have to no later than 4 years from now (plus a few months). Just like someone said, it makes little sense to purchase a radio that costs 50% and then need to purchase one at twice the price in four years or less.

One radio that really bugs me when it comes to narrow band is the PRO-96. It can be programmed for narrow band in the lower 150 MHz range but won't in the 162-174 federal government VHF - High band. Now the feds had a narrow band mandate in 2005 and the state/local (which use the the lower 150 MHz band) isn't mandated for another 4 years or so. Does it make sense that I can't get the 96 to operate in narrow band in the federal government bands right now? You have to be very careful to include some of the pending changes in any scanner you buy now.

Narrow banding and digital operation changes have been discussed, but left out is use of the 700 MHz band. Allocations and some licensing have already occurred, but the final allocation of what frequencies will be used for the different services (public safety, business, etc.) are not completely set in stone yet. Even the frequency range of the band is not finalized at this time. After the digital TV mandate of 2-17-09 passes there will be an upswing in 700 MHz licensing and use. The PSR-600 covers this new band and can be changed to be aligned with the final allocation. The situation we are in right now is similar to what happened in the early and mid 80's where some folks did not buy scanners with 800 MHz capability and soon found out they were missing out on a lot of traffic, depending on what agencies they were interested in. They spent 50% or more on a cheaper scanner and had to replace it in a couple of years and ended up spending 150% of what they would have paid for a 800 MHz scanner in the first place.

Buying a scanner is similar to buying tools. You can go for cheaper tools and then replace them several times in your life, or go with the higher grade tools and have them last for the lifetimes of you, your kids, and their kids as well. Just in your own lifetime buying better tools is less expensive than buying cheaper ones. I have a socket set that my great uncle purchased in the 1920's that my Dad inherited from him, and I then inherited from him. My trust shows the same tools (among an entire garage full) going to a nephew of mine, since I don't have any kids. In so many cases, going cheaper ends up costing more in the long run.